The following Australian provisional patent applications are hereby incorporated by cross-reference. For the purpose of location and identification, U.S. patent applications identified by US patent application serial numbers (USSN) are listed alongside the Australian applications from which the US patent applications claim the right to priority.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to an image processing method and apparatus and, in particular, discloses an anisotropic mediaxe2x80x94ridged/fibre.
The present invention relates to print media and discloses a process of treatment so as to reduce the likelihood of xe2x80x9ccurlingxe2x80x9d in print media.
Recently, it has become more and more popular in respect of photographic reproduction techniques to produce longer and longer xe2x80x9cpanoramicxe2x80x9d views of an image. These images can be produced on photographic paper or the like and the structure of the image is normally to have longer and longer lengths in comparison to the width so as to produce the more xe2x80x9cpanoramicxe2x80x9d type views.
Unfortunately, this imposes a problem where the photographic paper to be imaged upon originally was stored on a roll of small diameter.
For example, referring to FIG. 1, the print media upon which an image is to be printed can be stored on a small roll 3 for an indefinite period of time. The storage on the roll 3 can often impart a semi-permanent xe2x80x9ccurlxe2x80x9d to the paper 4. Subsequently, a portion of the roll 3 is unrolled as required and an image 5 is deposited on the media by means of printing and/or photographic imaging. The print media with its image 5 is normally held in place by means of rollers so as to ensure an accurate, flat, plane surface is provided for any imaging device utilising the print media. At a subsequent phase of the processing the print media is normally cut into desired length and stacked in a xe2x80x9csheetxe2x80x9d form 6.
However, when the print media is stored for long periods of time in a tightly curled roll, the print media 4 can take on a memory characteristic due to being curled around roller 3 for the extended period of time. Hence, images produced utilizing this process can often include an unwanted curl 7 consequential upon being tightly curled around roll 3. This is generally an undesirable characteristic. Of course, one way to overcome this problem is to increase the circumference of roll 3 and to thereby flatten the circumference of any paper roll around the roll 3. However, increasing the circumference of roll 3 is not desirable should it be required to include the roll 3 in a portable hand held type camera device. The portable nature of such a device requires as small a roll 3 as possible thereby leading to increasing levels of curl.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a form of print media having reduced curl characteristics.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a print media having a reduced degree of curling in use, said print media having anisotropic stiffness in the direction of said planes.
In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of reducing the curl in an image printed on print media having an anisotropic stiffness, said method comprising applying a localized pressure to a portion of said print media.